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Shaw, CFL announce Grey Cup sponsorship deal

Above watch: The CFL announced Friday Shaw Communications will be the “presenting sponsor” of the Grey Cup. Lisa MacGregor reports.

The CFL announced Friday Shaw Communications will be the “presenting sponsor” of the Grey Cup.

Over a month before the new CFL season gets underway, the Calgary-based telecommunications giant and the league have agreed to terms on a new sponsorship deal which gives Shaw branding on broadcasts of CFL games for the second half of the season, as well as the Grey Cup.

Jeffrey Orridge, the CFL’s new commissioner, said in a press release Friday the partnership “will allow us to present [The Grey Cup] bigger and better than ever.”
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“Unprecedented. Grey Cup has never had a presenting sponsor before. Presenting gives Shaw exclusive recognition and brand visibility with Canada’s most popular sporting event, ” said Jim Little,  Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Shaw.

WATCH: Jim Little, Shaw Communications Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer, discusses the pride to be partnered with the CFL

CFL games were watched by an average of 655,000 viewers during the 2014 season, according to CFLdb.ca, a website which tracks statistics related to the Canadian Football League. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders game on Aug. 31 was the most-viewed regular season game with 1.14 million viewers.

Shaw Communications employees celebrate with members of the RCMP and the Grey Cup during Shaw Communications/CFL partnership announcement in Calgary, Alberta, May 8, 2015. Todd Korol/Shaw Communications

WATCH ABOVE: CFL Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge says it’s a great day to have Shaw Communications on board as the league’s official telecommunications partner and the first-ever presenting sponsor of the Grey Cup.

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The Grey Cup continues to be one of the most-watched live TV events in Canada with 3.8 million people who tuned in to the 2014 telecast.

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As part of the agreement with the league, the latter half of the season (beginning after Labour Day Weekend), will be branded the Shaw Road to the Grey Cup.

“We are proud to support such a profoundly Canadian institution as the CFL and are privileged to be the first ever presenting sponsor in the Grey Cup’s storied history,” Brad Shaw, CEO of Shaw Communications said in a press release.

Shaw will also be the title sponsor of the CFL Player Awards and weekly player achievement program.

The Grey Cup will be played on Nov. 29 in Winnipeg.

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